Welland Canal Drained, Summer Vs Winter 2023
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- For years we have wanted to visit the Welland Canal during the winter when it is closed and drained for maintenance. This year we finally got around to it. We have spliced some summer (and late fall) footage into the winter scenes for context. We hope everyone enjoys it.
The 8th lock in Port colborne also has guard gates when work has to be done on the lock to keep back Lake Erie and the long stretch of the canal (lock 7 to lock 8) . The ones on lock 8 are more visible and more easily noticed. You can see old photos of the lock 1 guard gates in old 1920s photos, workers used wooden latters to go up and down the lock walls.
Thank you for sharing
Cool video I really liked it. It's cool to see what the canal looks like with no water in it
Thanks, we have been planning to see it winter for a few years now.
Fabulous production. When these facilities were built there were no computers, no GPS, no modern heavy construction equipment, no nothing. And 100+ years later the system still functions flawlessly. Thanks for showing us how it all comes together. Loved every minute.
We're glad you enjoyed the video.
Maybe the pictures don't show it well (not your fault) but the canal seems shallower than I would have thought.
Yes I agree it doesn't seem very deep. I think part of the problem is when we think of canals we think of narrow waterways with steep banks lined with brick or stone. Most of the Welland Canal (at least away) from the locks has gradually sloped banks and that can make it seem shallower then it is.
Looks like ships have to have very shallow drafts to use the Welland Canal. 26.5 ft is the deepest draft I just learned. Seems really shallow?
As large as the ships seem, SeaWayMax, which is the largest size for a ship to pass from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Lake Erie is nowhere near as large as Panamax or SuezMax, however when the current Welland Canal was dug in the early 1900's the only connection to Atlantic ocean was the Lachine Canal and the Erie Canal which had much smaller standards, so while at the time it seemed quite generous, it can't accommodate the largest ocean going ships. Thanks for watching.
Having grown up in the area, I am still amazed at how relatively shallow the Welland Canal is when I see it drained, and how carefully it must be navigated to avoid running aground, especially for Salties that have deeper drafts.